Apparatus for stretching and drying laundered articles



July 15, 1930. A. o. SCHRAMM 1,770,553

' APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING AND DRYING LAUNDERED ARTICLES Filed March 3,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Figl- July 15, 1930. A. o. SCHRAMM 1,770,553

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING AND DRYING LAUNDERED ARTICLES Filed March 5,1928 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented July 15, 1930 J I STATES PATENT OFFICEALBERT o. SCHRAMM, on em. LOUIS, MrssoURf, AssIGNon, By nasi n'ass enigsnes, To THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY eo'MrAnY, or CINCINNATI, onto,A

oonroRATIoN or OHIO e APPARAT S son sTaETcnin'c AND DRYING LAUNDEREDARTICLES Application filed March 3,

This invention relates to an apparatus for stretching and dryinglaundered articles.

The machine or apparatus, the subject matterof my application Serial No.215,500, filed August 12, 1927, for apparatus for stretching and dryinglaundered articles, Comprises elements for engaging and holding theupper and lower edges of the articles and devices for engaging thevertical edges of the articles. Mechanism is provided for operatingthe'devices that engagethe vertical edges of the articles in order tostretch the same. i

The present invention comprises an im-- provement in such a machine andincludes elements for engaging the horizontaledges of the articles to bestretched and dried, which elements comprise series of movable partscapable of easy relative longitudinal adjust- 2e ment as an incident toand in accordance with the longitudinal stretching ofthe articles by thedevices which engage the vertical edges of the articles. j

An object of the invention is to provide an improvement in such machinesas disclosed inmy said co-pending application Serial No. 212,500,whereby the horizontal edges of the articles obtain proper adjustmentautomatically and as an incident to the operation of the devicesengaging the vertical edges of the articles so that the articles will bestretched straight across in every direction and not subjectedtoundesirable strains.

Another object ofjthe' invention is to provide a machine comprising apair of horizontal bars each supporting aseries of longitudinallym'ovable and relatively adjustable carding brushes for engagement withthe upper and lower edges ofilau'nder'ed articles to hold the articlesstretched vertically, in combination with devices" for engaging thevertical edges of laundered articles, and means for operating saiddevices to stretch the ar ticle's on the frame comprising all of theaforesaid elements in the advantageous manner herein disclosed.

Other objects willappear from the following description, reference"being made tothe' accompanying drawings; in which Fig. '1 i's'a' sideelevation of a portion of a 1928. Serial No. 258 766.

broken out showing one of the horizontal.

stretching bar's.

Fig. 3 is an end View of the stretching Bar shown in Fig. 2.

The machine or apparatus in which the present invention is embodiedcomprises an approximately vertical frame movable longitudinally intoand out of a drying cabinet 1. The frame shown comprises an upright endframe member 2, an upper horizontal frame member 3 and a lowerhorizontal frame menu her 4. These frame members are connected togetherin the form of a rigid frame and the frame so constructed is supportedon rollers 5 and mounted vertically by a bracket 6 engaging a r9117.

The machine further comprises a vertical bar 8 supporting a rotativepinion 9 at its upper end meshing with ahorizontal rack 10 on the framemember 3 and a rotative pinion 11 at its lower end meshing with ahorizontal rack 12 on the frame member 1. As.

disclosed in my said application Serial N0.

212,500, for each pinion 9 and 11 the machine comprises a latch bar 13arranged in longitudinal alinementand having their ends adjacentlydisposed and provided with adjacent handles 14 arranged in suchrelationship that both handles may be grasped by one hand at the sametime to release the latches 13 simultaneously from the pinions 9 and 11.Actuatinrr sprin 15 may be provided to re-eiigage the latches with thepinions 9 and 11.

The machine further comprisesa bracket.

16 attached to the frame member 2 and supporting a rotative sheave 17having a ratchet wheel 18 rigid therewith. A pawl 19 pivoted o'n' thebracket l6 is' 'eagtg'sable with the ratchet wheel 18' to preventthesame from turning iii a direction to the stretched article t6 becomeloosened. From sheave 17 a cha'in'or'o'ther flexible device 20 extendsto connection with the vertical frame memher 8, Thus; it is" a partat (rg. 1) that by turning the sheave 17 in a cedritercloekwise direction thestretchin bar 8 will be; drawn toward the end of the frame, the pawl 19liding upon the periphery of the ratchetwheel 18 permitting the ratchetto turn with the sheave and preventing backward or clockwise turning ofthe sheave and ratchet.

The bar 8 supports on its outer face a vertical carding brush 21 forengagement with the vertical edge of a laundered article, it beingunderstood that the opposite vertical edge of such article is held bysome similar or other appropriate device, as disclosed in my saidco-pending application Serial No. 212,500, so that when the bar 8 ismoved laterally by the chain 20 and its connections the launderedarticle will be stretched.

The machine comprises an upper horizontal bar 22 and a lower horizontalstretching bar 23. These bars 22 and 23 are supported by vertical racks,of which one of said racks is shown and designated by 24, the same beingri id on the vertical frame member 2. Both '0 the bars 22 and 23 arecapable of relative vertical movements and adjustments.

The present invention comprises devices mounted on these bars 22 and 23for engaging the upper and lower edges of the laundered articles tohold'the articles stretched vertically and to permit lateral stretchingof the upper and lower edges of the articles by operation of thestretching bar 8.

As shown, each of the bars 22 and 23 has a plate 25 attached to itsouter side and extending longitudinally thereof. The plate 25 on each ofsaid bars 22 and 23 has its upper and lower edges formed with rebentportions 26 (Fig. 3) which rebent edges form channels 27. The upper andlower edges of brush blocks 28 engage in the channels 27 I provide aseries of such brush blocks upon each of the bars 22 and 23, thecombined length of said brush blocks being less than the length of saidbars 22 and 23 so that said blocks may be moved toward and away fromeach other longitudinally along their supports. Abutment screws 29 atthe ends of the channels 27 prevent the brush blocks from movingtherefrom. The screws 29, however, are removable and replaceable topermit IGll'lOWll and replacement of the brush blocks. Each brush block28 supports a carding brush 30 engageable with the upper and loweredges, respectively, of the laundered article. a

In operation of this machine the upper and lower edges of the launderedarticle are ongaged with the carding brushes 30 on the bars 22 and 23,respectively. One of the vertical edges of the laundered article isengaged with a retaining device (not shown) such as that disclosed in myco-pending application Serial No. 212,500, and the other edge is-engaged with the carding brush 21. Next, the sheave 20 is turned in acounter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1) by any appropriate device, as by acrank 31, thus moving the bar 8 on which the carding brush 21 ismounted'toward the end 2 of the frame. Since the vertical edge of gagethe laundered article is engaged with said carding brush 21 and theoppoiste edge of the article is held by some other device (not shown)the laundered article is stretched. Since the brushes 3028 are easilymovable longitudinally and relatively along their supports 22 and 23,the edges of the article are also stretched uniformly with the remainingportion of-the articleand without drag ing the article across the endsof the car ing brushes. In this way the laundered articles are easilyand uniformly stretched without damaging the surfaces thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention obtains all of itsobjects and purposes in a highly eflicient, convenient and satisfactorymanner and is substantially free from complicated structures. The devicemay be varied within equivalent limits without departure from the natureand principle of the invention.

I claim 1. An apparatus for stretching and drying laundered articlescomprising an upright end frame member, an upper horizontal frame memberand a lower horizontal frame member parallel with said upper member andeach having one end in rigid connection with said uprig t frame member,a vertical stretching bar, earing connecting the ends of said stretc ingbar with said upper and lower frame members respectively, means on saidstretching bar for engaging a laundered fabric, a pair of horizontalsupports between said upper and lower frame members and each having oneend connected with said u right frame member, a series of relativelymovable devices on one of said supports for engaglng one edge of alaundered fabric onwlth sald engaging means on said vertical bar, andmeans on the other horizontal support for engaging the other edge ofsaid fabric.

2. An apparatus for stretching and drying laundered articles comprisinga bar, means for supporting said bar in different adjusted positions, aplate attached to one side of said bar and having inwardly rebent edgesforming channels, a series of brush blocks having their edges engaged insaid channels and being movable along said plate, and a cardin brushinconnection with each of said blocks.

An apparatus for stretching and drying laundered articles comprising apair of parallel bars, a series of carding brushes supported forrelative longitudinal movements along each of said bars for engagementwith marginal portions of a fabric to be stretched and dried, a devicefor enga ing a marginal portion of said fabric at rig t angles to themarginal portions engaged by said carding brushes, and means foroperating said device to stretch the fabric evenly and uniformly acrossthe entire width of the fabric and to move said carding brushes that areengaged with stretched marginal portions of said fabric.

4:. An apparatus for stretching and drying laundered articles comprisinga pair of parallel bars, a series of carding brushes supported forrelative longitudinal movements along each of said bars for engagementwith marginal portions of a. fabric to be stretched and dried, a devicefor engaging a marginal portion of said fabric at right angles to themarginal portions engaged by said carding brushes, means for operatingsaid device to stretch the fabric evenly and uniformly across the entirewidth of the fabric and to move said carding brushes that are engagedwith stretched marginal portions of said fabric, means for guiding saiddevice in its movements, and elements for engaging parts of said uidingmeans to hold said device in its di erent adjustments.

5, An apparatus for stretching and drying laundered fabrics comprising abar, means for supporting said bar in different adjusted positions, aplate attached to one side of said bar and having inwardly rebent edgesforming channels, a series of brush blocks having their edges engaged insaid channels and being movable along said plate, abutments limitingmovement of said blocks along said plate and being removable to permitremoval and replacement of said blocks, a carding brush in connectionwith each of said blocks for engaging the article to be stretched anddried, a device mounted at an angle with respect to said bar forengaging the article that is engaged with said brushes, and means foroperating said device to stretch the article that is engaged with saidbrushes in the direction of movement of said brushes along said bar.

6. An apparatus for stretching and drying laundered articles comprisinga pair of parallel bars, a series of carding brushes supported forrelative longitudinal movements along each of said bars for engagementwith portions of a fabric to be stretched and dried, a device forengaging a portion of said fabric at right angles to the direction ofmovement of said brushes along said bars, mechanism for operating saiddevice to stretch the fabric evenly and uniformly and to move saidcarding brushes that are engaged with stretched portions of said fabric,and a device co-opera-ting with said mechanism to hold said mechanism inany position to which it is operated while said fabric remains stretchedby said device ALBERT O, SCHRAMM.

